


A Future In The Past

by RadioactiveCactus



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Drafted before season 4, F/F, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:21:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25879585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RadioactiveCactus/pseuds/RadioactiveCactus
Summary: Nicole Haught was born an involuntary time traveler. One day she’ll be 27 and working as a new sheriff’s deputy in the small town of Purgatory…when suddenly she finds herself at age 6, uncovering mysteries about her past…or age 30, or age 14. As she seeks to understand herself, she finds herself returning over and over to the one anchor, the one constant in her anachronistic life: Waverly Earp.
Relationships: Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 14
Kudos: 95





	1. Prologue: Thursday, September 22, 2016 (Waverly is 21, Nicole is 27)

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is very loosely inspired by The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffinegger.

**WAVERLY:** She’s right on time for her shift, which means she’s early. Waverly has spent a lot of time at Shorty’s; most of her life, really. It’s as much her home as any other place could be, and she always makes sure it looks good for the guests. As far as she’s concerned, it’s not just a job (of course, the paycheck isn’t bad)--it’s good hospitality.

She goes about her chores, tidying up, restocking, cleaning the windows, and all the while humming. She can’t help it—Wynonna is back. She’s been gone for far too long, and Waverly should be angry, but...Wynonna is here. She’s here! And all Waverly can do is smile. She missed her. So much. Sure, she’s upset she left her in the first place—abandoned her—but she didn’t exactly have it easy herself, and Waverly was too young to fully understand at the time. Maybe now is their chance to reconnect. They can start over and never look back. Things are much better now, at home. She just has to make sure Wynonna realizes that, too.

She’s wiping down the taps when she hears someone come through the front door. She hasn’t flipped on the “Open” sign yet, but Waverly doesn’t think much of this unannounced visitor at first. It isn’t unusual for one of her patrons to stop in to say hello, check up on her, see how her aunt is doing. But when she looks up, she doesn’t recognize the silhouette of the person there, afternoon sun casting a bright aura around the approaching figure. Waverly pauses in fiddling with one of the tap handles and squints toward the light.

“Hi there.” It’s a woman, and even though she can’t see her, Waverly’s stomach somersaults. Her heart races suddenly, and she holds her breath, her mind buzzing, unbelieving. She had known that this would happen this year, but it still feels unexpected. She had daydreamed about their meeting, thinking they’d bump into each other on the street, or reach for the same item at the grocery store. Something more...serendipitous. Maybe it’s not her, she thinks to herself, trying not to jinx it. But she can’t help it; she’s hopeful beyond hope.

She can hear the blood pounding in her ears, feel a flush creeping up her face, and she realizes that she’s still not breathing. As the woman approaches the counter, the front door is closing, eclipsing the daylight until it’s gone, and now, as Waverly’s eyes adjust, there’s no questioning it; Nicole is sauntering over to her, with that dimpled smile that she knows so well.

Waverly doesn’t know what to do, what to say, how much to say. She wants to dance, wants to squeal, wants to leap over the counter and wrap Nicole in a tight hug. A surge of happiness makes its way into her chest, and she feels she could just about burst. Before she has time to react, she gets another unexpected surprise--this time in the form of beer spraying out directly onto her.

“Jesus!” Waverly flails at the tap until it shuts off.

“I didn't know Shorty's had wet t-shirt competitions.” That smile again...she’s waited so long to see that smile. “You OK?”

Waverly is more than OK. Right now, she is beside herself with excitement. She hadn’t realized just how much she missed Nicole; it’s like she’s regained a part of her that she didn’t realize she had lost.

“Yeah. Yeah. I, uh...” She trails off, unsure of what to say. She wants to ignore the stupid beer, and just start again, but she’s struggling to compose herself. Nicole seems to pick up on this, and moves the conversation forward.

“I've been meaning to introduce myself. I'm Nicole Haught.” She extends her hand, and Waverly shakes it. “And you are Waverly Earp. Quite a popular girl around here.”

And just like that, Waverly moves from feeling excited and giddy to realizing that any chance at a good first impression has been derailed, and she has to get things back on track. She wants this to be perfect.

Nicole sits on a stool and puts her hat on the counter. Waverly needs to say something to redeem herself—to appear at least somewhat articulate. “Oh, you know, it's all in the smile and wave.” She gestures. It’s the best she can do at the moment.

“Yeah.” There’s a flicker in Nicole’s eye that Waverly catches, but it’s gone as quickly as it came. Does she recognize her, somehow? Is that possible? Maybe, somewhere in Nicole’s mind, she can feel their connection. If she’s already experienced everything, then maybe there’s a part of her that recognizes Waverly. 

Nicole interrupts her thought. “Can I get a cappuccino to go?”

 _Go?_ Thoughts are swirling rapidly in Waverly’s brain as she tries to come up with a way to keep Nicole sitting a little longer, until she can get a handle on herself to step up to this moment she’s been waiting so long for. She needs to stall. “Oh, I'm really sorry. We're not actually open yet so…” She hates herself as soon as the words come out of her mouth. 

“Oh! Right, my bad. It's just when I see something I like, I don't want to wait...” 

The casually flirtatious way Nicole says it pulls a sudden and undefined feeling in Waverly’s core. But she doesn’t get a chance to begin processing it before Nicole adds, “And your door was open so…”

“Right.” And just like that, Waverly doubts every thought and feeling she’s had thus far, feeling naive, thinking she’s read too much into what Nicole is saying, and how she’s feeling. She reminds herself that Nicole can’t possibly feel the weight of the words she’s saying the way Waverly is; not without the history that Waverly knows.

She’s suddenly aware of how sopping wet she is, letting the heavy thoughts wash away for the moment. She wipes at her chest with a rag. “You know, I keep telling Shorty he needs to fix the darn taps.” She’s cringing on the inside, wishing she could start this whole interaction all over again. But first she needs to change into a shirt that doesn’t reek of beer. “Sorry, do you mind just...?” She gestures for Nicole to turn around, but as Waverly starts to pull off her shirt, she hears a tearing sound. _Great_. She’s stuck. _This can’t possibly get any worse._ “Officer?” _Officer?_ “I'm stuck. Could you…”

“Oh yeah. Let me help you.” Nicole laughs. Waverly is reminded of how easy it is to be around Nicole, and she relaxes a bit. She’s soon free of the shirt, and modestly holds it up to cover herself. She looks into Nicole’s eyes, and it sparks something in Waverly that she can’t identify. She can feel heat in the back of her eyes, and a swelling of pure happiness in her chest. She realizes she’s staring. “Thanks, I owe you one.”

Nicole simply smiles politely. “Alright, well, how about you buy me that cup of coffee?”

Waverly has to open the bar soon, but she wants so badly to just sit down with Nicole and find out everything she possibly can about her, everything she wasn’t allowed to know before. But not now, it can’t be now, damn it. “Oh, I can't… I mean, I'd love to, but—” She catches herself. “ _Like_...like to…”

She knows she should pace herself, but she wants to tell her everything about her own life, too. She wants her to know what life was like without her, how she coped with her absence, how she immersed herself in study and built herself up. She’s independent, happy...Waverly realizes that she feels a bit defensive, having felt abandoned by Nicole, too. She wants Nicole to know that she has a full life, to know how she wasn’t alone; even in the moments she felt alone without her, she was complete. She needs her to know that she’s not a child anymore, waiting for her every time she showed up, and wasn’t waiting for her to show up this time. She’s a woman now, and to prove it…

“I'm in a relationship,” she declares. “With a boy.” _Wait,_ not _a child_. “Man. A boy-man.”

Nicole bites her bottom lip, looks down, nods, and Waverly realizes how badly that came out. The last time they met…well, Waverly doesn’t know what it meant, but she hasn’t totally convinced herself of what it didn’t mean, either. Announcing her relationship with Champ (though flimsy as it may be) makes her feel as though she’s betrayed Nicole somehow, and she feels a twinge of guilt. Of course, that’s absurd; Nicole doesn’t even know her yet. She won’t know their past for years to come.

But right now Nicole smiles at her. “Yep, I've been there,” she laughs, and walks back around to collect her hat. “It’s the worst.” 

Waverly doesn’t know what she means, but desperately wants to. Nicole had never been candid about her personal life (to Waverly’s annoyance), including her relationships. She wouldn’t even tell her how they met...though now, living it, Waverly understands the ridiculousness of it all and it suddenly feels like a long-running, inside joke.

“OK, well, some other time.” Nicole begins to walk away, but looks back to Waverly as she puts her hat back on. “I mean it.” There’s that easy, dimpled smile again.

Waverly finally comes to her senses—she’s waited for this moment for three years, the hell she's going to let it slip away. “Tonight!”

“Pardon?”

 _Full sentences, Waves._ “Drinks, tonight? I’m working, but you can hang out at the bar and we can catch up?”

Waverly clutches her shirt a little tighter while watching Nicole consider. “OK, it’s a date.” Waverly blushes at that. Nicole tips her hat and walks out of Shorty’s.

Waverly is left to stand there alone, shirtless, smelling of alcohol. “Well,” she says to herself, “so much for first impressions.” Though this whole ordeal did not go at all the way Waverly wanted it to—having had absolutely no control over any of it—Waverly is whistling again as she makes her way upstairs.

**NICOLE:** Nicole decided to visit Shorty’s on Nedley’s suggestion. He said it’s important to mingle with the locals, and Shorty’s is a staple of the town. But Nicole doesn’t want to show up for the first time to a room full of strangers who will single her out immediately as the new deputy. That will be awkward enough. No, the first time, she wants to take in the layout of the bar. She decides to visit early enough that she’s sure nobody will be there.

The heavy wooden doors to Shorty’s are open, letting sunlight flood the saloon. As she steps in, she notices a petite brunette behind the counter. This must be Waverly Earp; she’s heard her name mentioned on various occasions since moving into town; she’s quite liked around here. _She’s cute_ , Nicole thinks to herself—an instant attraction there. She greets her and walks in her direction to introduce herself.

She takes only a couple of steps before she’s surprised by the sudden shower of beer coming from the taps. Waverly is quick to stop it, but not before getting completely soaked. Amused, Nicole continues forward. “I didn't know Shorty's had wet t-shirt competitions.” she says, in an attempt to ease the dismayed look on Waverly’s face. “You OK?”

“Yeah. Yeah. I, uh...”

Perhaps that was the wrong thing to say—it seems to have made Waverly more flustered. She tries again. “I've been meaning to introduce myself. I'm Nicole Haught.” She extends her hand, and Waverly shakes it. “And you are Waverly Earp. Quite a popular girl around here.” 

“Oh, you know, it's all in the smile and wave.” She gestures, and Nicole sees why she’s so liked; there’s something about her that just radiates happiness. She takes a moment to absorb some of her positive energy, and decides that she, too, likes Waverly Earp. She will have to get to know her better, but she should be getting back to work, having had a good look at the layout of the bar...and the bartender, at that. “Can I get a cappuccino to go?”

“Oh, I'm really sorry. We're not actually open yet so…” Waverly looks apologetic.

“Oh! Right, my bad. It's just when I see something I like, I don't want to wait...” She looks for a reaction from Waverly, but then remembers she’s on duty. Perhaps now’s not the right time for some innocent flirting. “...And your door was open so…”

“Right,” is all Waverly says. She is trying to remain hospitable, but Nicole catches a shift in Waverly’s expression that she can’t place. But Waverly continues. “You know, I keep telling Shorty he needs to fix the darn taps.”

Waverly looks down at her soaked shirt. “Sorry, do you mind just...?” 

Nicole takes the hint, and turns away. She hasn’t met many people in town yet, and the few she has have either been working at the station, or in the holding cells at the station. She wasn’t sure what to expect from a small community like Purgatory; honestly, when she looked up the town, she was less than impressed, and regularly questions her decision to come here anyway. While the people she’s met were scum at worst, or dull at best, Waverly is a breath of fresh air, the first she’s had in weeks. She wants more of her, she realizes.

As she’s contemplating how to ask her out, Nicole hears a tearing sound behind her, followed by Waverly cursing to herself. “Crap...Officer? I’m stuck. Could you…” Nicole tries her best not to laugh at Waverly’s misfortune, but can’t help herself. “Oh, yeah. Let me help you.” Nicole walks around the counter to Waverly, and gingerly tugs at her shirt. Standing this close, she can feel the heat coming off Waverly. Once free, Waverly covers herself up. But she’s looking at Nicole in a way that...means something.

Waverly thanks her. “I owe you one.”

Maybe she should get to know Waverly sooner rather than later, she thinks. “Alright, well, how about you buy me that cup of coffee?”

“Oh, I can't… I mean, I'd love to, but— _like_...like to…”

Through the haze of attraction, Nicole realizes that possibly Waverly, who is not currently wearing a shirt, and is probably sticky from the beer, is likely not in the mood to chit chat. She’s about to say so, but is caught off guard by Waverly’s sudden disclosure. “I'm in a relationship. With a boy...Man. A boy-man.”

Nicole bites her lip to keep from laughing. Though this has been nothing less than interesting, she has to admit that she is charmed by Waverly. She composes herself, and smiles as she walks back to collect her things. “Yep, I've been there. It’s the worst.” Nicole isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and Waverly likely won’t either. They’ll get to know each other sooner or later, Nicole will make sure of that.

She picks up her hat to leave. “OK, well, some other time,” she says as she makes her way toward the door, but that sounds too dismissive. She looks back to Waverly and smiles. “I mean it.”

Waverly blurts out, “Drinks, tonight? I’m working, but you can hang out at the bar and we can catch up?”

Catch up? Nicole falters, and there’s a sudden cold heat in her chest; she recovers quickly. “OK, it’s a date.” 

Waverly blushes attractively. “Great!” she exclaims with a wide grin, her eyes crinkled at the corners, as she claps her hands in excitement. And just like that, Nicole’s worries ebb. She tips her hat and walks out of Shorty’s.

As she steps back into the blinding sunlight, she knows that something big just happened. She’s curious and a bit nervous about what it all means, but finds that she’s looking forward to getting closer to Waverly to draw it out of her.

**LATER**

Once off her beat at 10:00, Nicole runs home to change out of her uniform. _Wouldn’t want to be a buzzkill_ , she thinks to herself. Meeting up with Waverly would serve as a perfect introduction to Shorty’s (with people this time), though admittedly not the only reason she’s going there tonight.

She decides to take a quick shower first, for good measure. She doesn’t concern herself with what she’s going to wear; just happy to be out of that uniform. She needs to have a talk with Nedley about the khakis again… She slips on some dark blue jeans and a navy button-up. Once she’s braided her hair back, she looks at herself in the mirror and adds golden studded earrings to the ensemble, applies fresh lipstick, slips on her boots, and grabs her jacket on the way out the door.

The ambiance at Shorty’s is very different from earlier today; much noisier—beer bottles clinking, the sound of the jukebox in the air, and a good amount of chatter, laughter, and cheers at a table at the far end. All in all, it seems like a pretty low-key night, thankfully. She recognizes some of the patrons, but not personally. She looks around for Nedley, though she doesn’t expect to find him—he’s probably already in bed, resting up for an early day at the station.

“Nicole!” She hears her name being called out over all the noise, and looks in the direction of the bar. Waverly is grinning at her, bouncing in place, and is waving her over. Nicole sits at the far end of the bar, where she has a full view of the place. Waverly gestures “one second” and is refilling a pitcher of beer. Nicole studies her.

Her hair is long, down to her waist. She’s changed from what she wore earlier that day—she’s wearing frayed jean shorts and a crop top, exposing her slenderness. Nicole’s mouth goes a little dry, and she has to turn away for just a moment. 

Waverly is very attentive to the customers—currently leaning over the bar to hear an older gentleman better. She nods at something he’s told her, and smiles widely, responding with a laugh as she walks away from him. She quickly checks in on someone else at the bar as she’s walking past, but isn’t needed, so she finally makes her way to Nicole.

“Hey! I’m glad you made it, I’d been thinking about you all evening.” Waverly rests her elbows on the counter and places her hand on Nicole’s, who is caught off guard. But Nicole doesn’t pull away. The motion is familiar, easy for Waverly, though she seems unaware of the gesture or what it’s doing to Nicole’s insides. Her hand is soft and slightly cool, likely from the cold beverages she’s been pouring for hours. Waverly’s smile is easy, too, and Nicole can’t help but feel that they’re sharing a moment, private among a room full of people. Waverly interrupts her thoughts.

“Want a drink?” She pulls her hand away absentmindedly and grabs a pint glass from the shelf.

“Oh, no beer for me. But I will take that cappuccino now, if you have it.”

Waverly winks at her, and goes off to get her drink. She’s flagged down by two women on her way back, so when she sets the coffee down in front of Nicole, she excuses herself again and goes back to pour the women their shots of tequila. Nicole has another opportunity to take it all in. She’s missed people, and Waverly is easily bringing the butterflies out in Nicole. She smiles, sipping her coffee, until Waverly is back.

“Lively bunch of people you have here,” Nicole says when Waverly returns, as a way of making conversation.

“Yeah, most of them come in at the same time each week. I think it’s kind of nice, like family coming home.” She looks around, appreciating. “I always know who to expect when, and actually look forward to seeing them.” Nicole would love that kind of consistency in her own life, but keeps it to herself. Waverly turns back to Nicole, and rolls her eyes at herself. “Sorry.” But she’s smiling.

“I think it’s great that you care so much about them. You must have a big heart.” The more she spends time with Waverly, the more Nicole feels drawn to her. She finds herself wondering just how serious Waverly’s relationship with Boy-Man is. But decides that tonight is not the right night to find out. There’s another question on her mind, and she isn’t sure how to ask it.

They’re quiet now, unsure of what to say. Nicole sips her cappuccino. Waverly wipes down the counter and organizes the stirrers. Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” plays on the jukebox. A couple is dancing in a corner, and the tequila ladies are taking photos of each other.

Nicole feels confident in her assessment, and decides to take a leap. “So, when did we meet?” she tries to say casually, taking a sip from her cup, though she feels slightly anxious.

Waverly’s eyes go big with surprise. “Wait, do you recognize me?” she whispers, conspiratorially.

Nicole opens her mouth to speak, but doesn’t know how to answer that. She doesn’t recognize her because, presumably, Waverly first met her at some point in Nicole's future. Waverly must see the hesitancy on her face, because she now looks as though she has said something impolite that she needs to apologize for.

“I forgot. You told me not to...you haven’t met me yet. I mean, you just met me, but...haven’t...yet..." She scrunches her nose; to anyone else, she would sound confused, but Nicole gets it, and is relieved by her accurate assumption.

“Well, nice to meet you.” Nicole smiles.

Waverly laughs. “Nice to ‘meet’ you too,” she says with air quotes. “Sorry, it’s just that I know you so well, and have been waiting for you for so long. And you’re so…” Waverly gives Nicole a look that makes her feel...seen—like she’s searching in Nicole’s eyes, hoping to find some recognition there, some memory deep inside. She suddenly looks down at her hands, and continues. “I’ve known you for a long time, but I know the rules. I just wish I could tell you everything!” She looks at Nicole again, sympathetically. “I suppose you’ll live it in time...and then they’ll be your memories, too.”

Nicole swells at hearing that. Whatever relationship she and Waverly have, it must be a close one; she senses a deep understanding between the two of them, and it’s comforting to Nicole. She wishes she could fast-forward to Waverly’s past and catch up to her. But, they have to start somewhere. “Well, until then, tell me about yourself. You probably know a lot about me.”

“Actually I don’t. You never told me. I mean, I know you—I know you don’t like pickles, and I know your favorite color is blue. But I don’t know details about your life. I didn’t even know your last name until today. There’s so much that I’ve wanted to know, but I’ve had to wait until...well, now.”

“Hm...When was the first time we met?”

“I was five, and you showed up and...well, let’s just say you have perfect timing. And we last met three years ago. I mean, you had told me so at the time, that it would be the last time, so we were prepared...but three years is a long time, young lady.” She wags her finger playfully at Nicole. “To be honest, I even began to wonder if all those visits actually ever happened, or if you were just a figment of my imagination—some imaginary friend.” She laughs a little. “I’m glad you’re real.” She’s grinning now, the excitement she had when Nicole first walked in tonight coming back.

Nicole is surprised at having met Waverly at such a young age. Waverly has known her most of her life. “So...how well do we know each other?” Nicole is curious about their relationship; with the way Waverly looks at her, touches her, they must know each other well, but Waverly was a child, so Nicole is uncertain of the dynamic. But this question seems to have confused Waverly, or maybe embarrassed her. Nicole tries again. “I mean, how many times did we meet?”

Waverly looks a bit relieved at the clarification. “Seventy-seven times...I kept count. Well, that is to say that I kept count of all the times we met. I don’t know if you ever showed up at times I wasn’t around, especially when I was younger. As I got older, it was much easier to meet you at—well...I guess you’ll see.”

Nicole wants to know more, wants to know what’s coming up in her future, what to expect. She won’t ask details, though. Except... “I shouldn’t ask, but—do I know anyone else around here? In this room?” Nicole looks around as though someone will suddenly be recognizable to her. When Waverly doesn’t respond, she turns back to see her smiling, cheekily.

“Well, well, well, _Officer Haught_. You aren’t supposed to know these things.” She’s teasing, and Nicole feels that attraction slink its way back again. Nicole gazes into Waverly’s eyes, and Waverly returns the look—this time, unbashful. Before Nicole can act on it, they’re interrupted by a woman calling to Waverly. “Yo, Angel Pants.” Waverly blinks away from Nicole—the moment gone—and quickly excuses herself before rushing down to the end of the bar. 

Nicole observes the interaction. The woman, who could be a model for Vidal Sassoon, is wearing tight jeans and a leather jacket, and looks stern as she speaks; but they’re too far away for Nicole to hear anything they’re saying. Waverly is sneaking glances at Nicole, but the woman doesn’t seem to notice. After only about a minute, the woman takes a swig from a beer bottle that appears to belong to someone else at the bar, and makes her way back out into the night.

“Sorry about that,” Waverly says, returning after serving a couple more people. Then she seems to remember. “Oh, right. That was Wynonna. My sister—God, this is so weird,” she smiles, shaking her head a little. “She was in Europe and just came back for Curtis—I mean, my uncle’s funeral.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Nicole means it. She can see sadness in Waverly’s eyes. “Were you close?”

Waverly looks at Nicole a moment, no doubt thinking “how weird” this is. Future-Nicole probably knows the answer to that, and Waverly is looking at her, undoubtedly, with sympathy at her ignorance. “Yeah, we were close. Curtis basically raised me after—well, I lost my parents when I was really young, and Curtis and Gus took me in. They’ve been like parents to me; treated me well, supported me through college…”

“Sounds like they cared a lot about you.” Nicole wants to change the subject, seeing the light dim inside Waverly. “What did you major in, in college?”

This perks Waverly up. “Well. I couldn’t really _go_ to college, but I managed a four-year degree via correspondence in Ancient Cultures and Languages. I can speak four fluently.” She holds up four fingers.

“Impressive!” Nicole is not sure what use four languages would have in Purgatory, but is amazed nonetheless.

“Another round, sweetie,” a patron calls. Waverly looks at him, and then longingly at Nicole. She excuses herself, apologetic, to help with the man’s request. Nicole feels that maybe she should let Waverly get back to work; she doesn’t want to be to blame for taking up all of the bartender’s attention. She takes a last drink of her cappuccino, and puts some cash on the counter.

“You’re leaving?” Waverly seems hurt.

“Yeah, I don’t want to keep you—” she gestures around.

“Oh, don’t go...I mean, there’s so much to talk about.” She thinks. “I have the night off tomorrow. Wanna come to my place? We can talk without being interrupted, I promise.” She smiles, pleading. How could Nicole say no.

“OK, sure. I’m off at five tomorrow. Where do you live?”

“Here…” Nicole is confused. “I mean, my apartment is above the bar, upstairs.”

“Ah. You weren’t kidding when you said this was like home.” Now Nicole is teasing. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She walks toward the exit, fighting the urge to look back, but doesn’t fight the smile she wears all the way home.

**THE NEXT DAY**

They meet downstairs at Shorty’s. Nicole is dressed similarly to the night before, but is wearing her hair down tonight. It’s still early, but there are already a few people who are just starting their happy hour. Waverly casually introduces her to some of them, a couple of older men she’d seen just the night before.

Nicole is off duty, and feels a bit more relaxed tonight. So when Waverly offers her a drink, she opts for a rum and coke, and chats with the friendly gentlemen while Waverly makes herself a vodka soda with a squeeze of lime.

When the guys make their way to the pool table, Waverly ushers her upstairs, away from the noise.

“Nice place you’ve got here.” Waverly lives in a very small studio. There’s a cute kitchen on her left with a red wall and turquoise fridge, and most of the rest of the room is taken up by Waverly’s bed. Nicole admires her minimalist lifestyle.

“Thanks. It’s not much, but it’s cozy and I have what I need.”

“What’s this?” Nicole walks closer to a wall at the far end of the room; it’s full of old photos and newspaper clippings. Many of them appear to be from the 19th century.

“Oh, sorry about that.” She hurries over to Nicole’s side.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“No, that’s OK. It’s no big deal. Just a lot of family research that I’ve collected over the years. I like learning about my past, sort of a genealogy aficionado,” she says with a tilt of her head. “But it tends to make the place look messy, so I usually cover it up.” She draws the curtain over the wall.

“That’s interesting,” says Nicole. “I hear you’re related to Wyatt Earp? There must be a lot of history on him.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty popular around here.”

“Must run in the family.” Nicole smiles, and Waverly gives her a _yeah-yeah-whatever_ look. She sits at the end of her bed and pulls a large furry pink pillow onto her lap. “So, tell me all about you! I want to know everything.”

“Oh, let’s see.” Nicole walks over to sit down on the stool next to the dining table, which happens to also be right next to the bed. “I have a cat named Calamity Jane who needs to lose weight, I started working as a deputy a couple of weeks ago, and I occasionally break the boundaries of space and time.”

Waverly rolls her eyes. “Ha-ha, very funny. But, like, where did you grow up? Where do you live now?”

Nicole is enchanted by the attentiveness Waverly is giving her, and she sees an opportunity. “Actually, I haven’t found a place yet. I’m in a sort of temp-housing situation. I’ve been meaning to start house-hunting.”

“Oh! I could help you look,” Waverly exclaims, putting her hand on the small table and bouncing a little.

“Really?” Nicole shifts from the stool to sit next to Waverly on the bed.

“Of course.” Waverly reaches out to touch Nicole’s forearm now. “I know all the best places in town, and the areas you’d want to stay away from. It may not look like it, but there can be some pretty sketchy neighborhoods around here...Although by the looks of you in your uniform, I bet you can take care of yourself.” Waverly seems to have heard what she just said, and blushes, pulling her hand away. “I mean...because you’re a cop...and, I’m sure you’ve had, like, a ton of training...and...all that.” She smiles shyly, an attractive blush rising to her cheeks, making her look even more beautiful.

Nicole can feel herself blush a little, too, heat rising through her core. _So, Waverly likes the uniform. Hm._ “Actually,” she starts softly, “that would be really great. I would love it if you came....” She leans in just a little bit closer to Waverly. “I could use some support. I’d hate to do it all alone.” _She smells like jasmine._

**Waverly:** She feels hot all of a sudden—maybe it’s the vodka. Or maybe she’s just aware of how close she and Nicole are sitting, her words soft against her ears. “No,” she breathes, arousal unexpectedly finding its way into her depths. “We can do it. Together.” She thinks back to three years ago, the last time she’d seen Nicole. She had convinced herself that it had been nothing at all, that Nicole was just trying to console her. Or maybe Waverly convinced herself of that to make the imminent solitary years more bearable. But she thought about that day often, and it always pulled at the guitar string that runs down the center of her body, the vibration coursing through her.

And now, looking at Nicole, her dark eyes fixed on hers, Waverly can feel butterflies fluttering inside her; feel a gravitational pull toward Nicole. Maybe there was more to it. Maybe this is the beginning of whatever Nicole knew then—what they’re both about to learn now.

They’re quiet for a moment—it feels like a lifetime passing in an instant. She’s looking at Nicole’s perfectly pink lips. Without thinking, she falls into them and feels the warmth of Nicole’s soft lips on her own. Waverly feels herself melting into the kiss, the sensation reaching all the way down her body to her toes. Nicole responds, and Waverly’s head is spinning.

Nicole gently pulls away. “Is this OK?”

Waverly is not sure what she means, but doesn’t want to stop. “Yeah,” she exhales before moving her hand up to Nicole’s soft, wavy hair and pulling her back into the kiss. But after a moment, Nicole pulls away again.

“I mean, what about your boy-man.”

Waverly hadn’t thought of Champ, admittedly for most of the day. And she doesn’t want to break that streak. “It’s fine,” is all she says before repositioning herself closer.

This seems to have satisfied Nicole enough, because now she’s kissing Waverly back more hungrily, her lips parting slightly. Their hands search each other, and Waverly can feel the truth in what she had said just moments ago; she can feel the muscles of Nicole’s arms, her strong back as Waverly moves her hands down to find where her shirt is tucked. She releases it from its hold and moves her hand under it to feel Nicole’s skin. Despite her strength, Nicole feels so soft, her skin silky and warm.


	2. Sunday, September 25, 2016 (Waverly is 21, Nicole is 27)

**WAVERLY:** It has been a couple of days since her evening with Nicole. Waverly stayed up late that night, long after Nicole left.There was a lot to sort through.

She had been stubbornly denying herself the truth: she _had_ been waiting for Nicole. How could she not? All the times when Waverly felt like she had no control over her own life--moving from place to place, person to person, always belonging to someone else--Nicole belonged only to her. She was her secret, her reassurance, and ironically her bit of normalcy. Those years without her were easy enough to get through. She was able to have a life outside of Nicole--have friends, flings, adventures--because she knew with all her heart that Nicole would be waiting for her on the other end. There was no doubt about it. Their lives were predestined to dance around each other, two wavelengths intersecting at just the right moments.

Tonight, as she sits in front of a fire, under a blanket and a starry autumn sky, she’s discussing with Wynonna the mustached stranger fixing their mailbox, questioning his intentions, admiring the way he fills Waverly’s now-ex-boyfriend’s jeans. But they won’t be discussing Nicole, not tonight. For now, Waverly will selfishly keep the depth of their relationship a secret. Just a little longer.

As the night goes on, Waverly considers the feelings she had felt the last time Nicole visited her those years ago. She hadn’t understood and couldn’t quite place what she felt the moments just before Nicole disappeared for three years. She hadn’t dared dwell on the thought for fear of falling apart. With Nicole here, in real time, she’s finally given herself permission to dwell, and fall hard if necessary. Opening her mind and heart to honest interpretation, it was embarrassingly quick to realize the truth.

All these years, there had been a small flicker, a continuously burning flame, waiting to be fanned. Waverly just didn’t realize it until she felt Nicole’s lips against her own, causing a liquid fire to swell in her chest and spread through the deepest parts of her body; until Waverly herself didn’t want it to end even when Nicole pulled away, breathless, and asked to slow down. 

She was in love. She always thought the feeling would scare her, but all she felt was giddy and excited. It’s easy to giggle as Wynonna jokes with her tonight, but she’s also laughing at her naiveté. How absurd, too, that the person she’s madly in love with, the person she feels a deep, lasting connection with, is someone to whom she’s a stranger.

And later, as Waverly lies alone in bed on that cool September night, she’s warmed by the thought that Nicole is in love with her, too. She doesn’t know it yet, though. As Waverly blinks her eyes closed to fall asleep, she’s confident that every moment they shared in her past is because they’re destined to be together in their future. She doesn’t need Nicole to tell her it’s true. She’s already told her, just by being there.

**\- DAYS LATER -**

**NICOLE:** “Can we exchange notes?”

“Oooh, yes please!” Waverly is opening the bar today, but it’s early yet; Nicole is grateful that their schedules finally synced up so that they can spend more time together. Just to talk, of course. Nicole is sitting on a stool with her back to the bar, while Waverly wipes down the tables.

“So you realize that I...that I’m…” _A time-traveler_ , she thinks, but feels silly saying it out loud.

Waverly is looking at her, smiling coyly, knowingly torturing her. She finally relents. “I know you’re a CDP, and--”

“CDP?”

“Oh...that’s what you called yourself. It stands for ‘chronologically displaced person.’” Waverly is quiet for a moment, clearly contemplating something, but she continues. “I know that you’ve first experienced time-travel as a child. Your parents tried doctors, but they were against invasive tests and experimental drugs...which you said was ironic, given who they are.”

Nicole grins at that; it’s nothing less than cool to her that this stranger is able to “get” those aspects of her life. Her parents were major hippies in their day, and the thought of them being against experimental drugs is mind-boggling to Nicole; though she is grateful for their decision.

Waverly continues. “You’re an only child, and...sorry, _why_ don’t you know that you’re a CDP?” Waverly pauses wiping down the tables and looks at Nicole, who must have a blank expression on her face, because Waverly shakes her head and tries again. “I mean, you _know_ you’re a CDP, obvs, but…” She gives a short, apologetic exhale, and smiles pleadingly at Nicole. “I’m still not used to this time loop thing, even after all these years. I mean, _you’re_ the one that told _me_ about CDPs years ago, but...I just told _you_...so...did _I_ just come up with that term?” She sort of just smiles and shrugs, and moves on to the next table.

“Well,” Nicole starts, “my life’s timeline is a bit hard to explain--”

“Oh,” Waverly waves the rag at her dismissively, “you already have.”

“Have I?”

Waverly’s is turned away slightly, but Nicole can see a crooked smile appear on her face. Waverly doesn’t say anything right away, lets the question linger for a moment, but then she looks right at Nicole and simply says “Yeah” with a smile.

Nicole is enjoying this game they’re playing.“OK. So tell me. What did we do on our...seventy-seven, was it? Our seventy-seven visits.” She turns around on her stool to face Waverly, who is now behind the bar organizing the glasses.

“Oh, different things at different times.” She smiles, reminiscing. “Most of the time, you would appear for me at the barn, and I would be there waiting with coffee or tea.”

Nicole catches the “for me,” but doesn’t comment. “So you lived on a farm?”

Waverly doesn’t stop working, but Nicole can see a shift in mood clearly on her face. “Yeah, I lived there until I was about 6, and that’s when Gus and Curtis took me in. But you and I met at the Homestead, so that’s just where we kept meeting. Which worked out, actually, because it’s basically been abandoned since then, until Wynonna and I moved back in.”

She wants to know more about Wynonna, but she is more curious about Waverly at the moment. “So what happened in the winters? They’re not exactly mild around here.”

Waverly is smiling again. “Lucky for you, I was always prepared!” she says proudly. “I always had a small fire going, just enough to warm up the barn. And there were plenty of wool blankets stashed away, and clean clothing. I’d have a thermos of hot coffee with me, like I said, but I also had water boiling over the fire in case you didn't come right away.” She’s counting on her fingers, clearly going over a list in her head, and Nicole feels…taken care of. “Then you’d appear, and we’d just take it from there.”

“So. You’ve seen me naked.” Nicole says this, jokingly defeated.

“Yes, though I guess I always took it for granted.” She’s blushing, looking away from Nicole.

They’re quiet now, and Nicole feels she should say something first. “Hey, about the other night--”

But Waverly interrupts her. “It’s OK; it’s my fault. You told me to take it easy on you,” she’s shaking her head at herself, wrinkles forming between her eyebrows. “I guess I thought you just meant with information overload…well, I guess it all makes sense in retrospect.”

Nicole had been enjoying her time with Waverly that Friday, even though they were moving a lot faster than she typically would. It just felt right, but she’s glad she stopped herself. If they had been meeting for most of Waverly’s life, then she’s gotta mean something more than a one-night stand.

Waverly takes a break to walk to Nicole’s side of the bar. “Your turn,” she says, plopping down on the stool next to her. She’s giving Nicole her full attention, making Nicole feel suddenly underprepared.

“Well, uh…,” she’s not sure how much to share, so she begins with the easy stuff. “So, you know about my parents. We traveled the country a lot when I wasn’t in school, which wasn’t always fun as an only child. But I got to see some really cool places, including in the U.S. Actually, funny story, that’s where I got married, while I was rock climbing in Nevada--”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up!” Waverly is gaping at her now. “You’re _married_?”

“Well, I _was_ married. Until very recently, actually. It’s OK,” she says as Waverly’s expression softens a bit. “The marriage itself was sort of...an impulse. We didn’t know each other enough to realize we wanted different things, so we broke it off pretty quickly. It was mutual,” she smiles reassuringly at Waverly before continuing. “And then I finished at the academy and Sheriff Nedley recruited me.”

“And you said yes?” Waverly asks in feigning disbelief.

“I know,” Nicole laughs a little. “I admit it’s not as appealing as other places I looked into. But…” she hesitates a moment before continuing, “I have ties here...sort of. I came here when I was a kid with my aunt and uncle.” She reserves the rest of the story for another time. “It felt right to come here. I’ve learned over the years to trust my gut. I usually end up in places that...” she searches for the right words-- “ _click_ with past or future experiences. Sort of like reaching checkpoints, telling me that I’m on the right track.” The caring expression on Waverly’s face is almost too much for Nicole’s heart. “I’m sure that this is where I’m meant to be right now,” she smiles genuinely, “because here _you_ are. It must be right.”


	3. Saturday, January 20, 2007 (Waverly is 11, Nicole is 33)

**NICOLE:** Waverly has been quieter than usual today, but Nicole doesn’t have to ask why. Based on the date, Waverly has experienced yet another loss of a sister. Less permanent than the first, of course, but definitely more heartbreaking. Nicole knows the deep connection that Waverly and Wynonna have, one that can’t be broken by distance. No matter how close Nicole and Waverly are, Nicole understands that it will never compare to the bond that the sisters have.

But Nicole’s bond with Waverly is strong as well. She recognizes the sorrow that Waverly is feeling, even now at eleven years old. She notices the light dim in her eyes, the way she goes introverted. She’d seen it when Mama Earp came back, bringing with her all the ghosts from the past that haunted Waverly; when they had to say goodbye to Alice, after having just met her; when she and Nicole shared an unspoken realization about their future, one they avoid discussing but that remains in the periphery of their lives...it was a hard year, for everyone, but especially for Waverly, and the demons she held in her mind had sent her into a downward spiral. It scared Nicole to think of what almost happened in that greenhouse during one of Waverly’s darkest moments.

She reminds herself that Waverly is the strongest woman she knows--the strongest person she knows--and has shown that to be true time and time again. She has gotten through a lot of tough times, and will get through this now. This young Waverly has a lot of great years ahead of her.

Nicole asks her questions to try to get her to talk, but it feels more like an interview without any engagement. _OK, so she doesn’t want to talk about herself right now…_ They start their sixth round of a makeshift mancala game.

“So when was the last time you saw me?” Nicole tries.

Waverly thinks for a moment, not taking her focus away from the game. “August.”

“Wow, really?” Nicole is surprised.

“You sound surprised.” She drops a pebble in Nicole’s row. “Your turn.”

All things considered, Nicole is glad to be here at a significant time in Waverly’s life, to be a distraction for her, but…this is one of the longest gaps for Waverly between Nicole’s visits. She’s usually very chatty and excited to see Nicole; she’d have thought that, after five months, Waverly’d have written notes of things she’d want to tell her. Nicole stupidly wonders for a moment whether Waverly did write notes, and just didn’t bring them along. She plays her turn. “Well...I’ve been visiting you for as long as you’ve been visited _by_ me at this point. Five months is a long time. I just traveled to you two weeks ago.”

This noticeably perks Waverly up. “You did? How old was I?”

“Oh, between five and eighteen.” She’ll drag this on a bit if it’ll get Waverly to talk.

Waverly puts her little hands to her hips, exasperated. “Oh, come on! You always say that. It’s not fair that you know everything about me and I don’t know anything about you.” She scrunches her nose at Nicole, though there is only a hint of a wrinkle visible.

“You know the rules…” Nicole smiles teasingly, hoping to lighten the mood. It seems to work.

“OK, but what if you’re _supposed_ to tell me? How would you ever know if you don’t try?”

“Because I don’t. Try, I mean.”

“But how do you _know_?”

Nicole squints at Waverly, considering. She can see that Waverly thinks she’s outwitted her. Of course, she hasn’t, but Nicole decides to give her _something_ , simply to make her forget her current life for a few moments. “OK, fine. I saw you two weeks ago. You were sixteen. You had just saved up for a car. Gus and Curtis helped out.”

“Cool! What kind of car?” Her eyes were wide with wonder.

“Nuh-uh, that’s all you get.”

“What? No fair!” She stomps her little feet on the dirt floor, still sitting.

“You know the rules--” Nicole rests her chin on her knees, enjoying this.

“Ugh, the rules don’t make sense!” Nicole is laughing, and Waverly feebly hits her leg through her blanket. “I think I’m done playing. Want a snack? I have some cheese and crackers, and apples…” She gets up before Nicole can respond and rummages through the tote bag she’d brought along.

After eating their snack and brewing up some more water for tea, Waverly goes quiet again. This time, Nicole can see the wheels turning in her head. It’s a good quiet, and Nicole is relaxed.

“Is it hard? To time travel?”

Nicole tries to interpret the question before answering. When Waverly was little, most of Nicole’s explanations started with “it’s sort of like magic…” At this age, however, Waverly is starting to understand the complexities of life, and Nicole finds it a bit easier to explain things to her. Nicole stands up and walks the short distance to the wood pile. “Yes, and no. The hardest part for me is not knowing when it’s going to happen.” She adds another log to the fire.

Waverly adjusts her blanket. “What I don’t get is...how do you not know your whole life? I mean, you told me once that you lived your whole life already, so why don’t you remember it?”

“Well, that’s not exactly the way it works. It’s more like... my life doesn’t follow a linear timeline, nor does it loop around like a Jeremy Bearimy--” Waverly looks understandably bewildered, so Nicole tries to reel it in. “There is no line. It’s just a dot.”

Waverly considers a moment, then asks, “What about free will?”

Nicole shouldn’t be surprised by Waverly’s intelligence, but still manages to be. _The girl is eleven; how does she know about free will?_ She smiles to herself at the thought of returning to her time and telling her Waverly about this moment. “I dunno. I have it.”

Eleven-year-old Waverly is trying really hard to understand. Nicole quietly sips her tea, letting her work through the thoughts in her head.

“But then why don’t you just tell yourself everything that will happen to your future self? If you do that, then don’t the choices you make carry out in your... ‘dot’? Wouldn’t that make it easier?”

“Well...no. Telling myself my future doesn’t change my past at all.”

“But you gave me the dates to your visits years ago--isn’t that changing the past?”

Nicole shrugs, “I gave you the dates because you told me I did.”

“No I didn’t…” she’s trying to recall.

“You haven’t, but you will,” Nicole says, all-knowing.

Waverly frowns at her, cutely.

“I guess the best way to think of it, as far as I can tell, is that my life has played out in one instant. I have free will, but that has also played out in that instance. So I can’t really change course, because if I did, it’s only because I already have.”

It’ll take a while for Waverly to sort through that, Nicole determines. She hopes it’ll at least give her something else to think about for the night.

Nicole slumps a little, more comfortable with the added heat to the fire. “So when you saw me, five months ago, how old was I?”

“You know the rules,” Waverly says, mockingly.

“Pfft. Killjoy.”

She relents. “You were younger. Your hair was much longer. You look old to me now, actually. You have wrinkles. Do you dye your gray hair?” She’s teasing, and smiling, and Nicole exaggerates an expression of incredulity. She laughs with Waverly, but the words cut more than this kid realizes.


	4. November 2, 2016 (Waverly is 21, Nicole is 27)

**NICOLE** : Nicole lays in her hospital bed, staring at the stucco on the ceiling. She was relieved when Waverly told her that Wynonna was safe. The last thing she had remembered was Waverly smiling at her from the front door of the homestead. When they were attacked, Nicole traveled to a dull time in her early 20s for nine hours, wishing she could go back to help Wynonna. She'd only been gone for a few minutes in real time.

They had been in the cruiser when it happened, on Nicole’s watch. She was both frustrated and ashamed at having let everyone down; she couldn’t fulfill her duty as an officer, or as Waverly’s girlfriend. And frankly, Nicole was embarrassed at having been so jumpy--rather than defending Wynonna, she just -poof- disappeared. After berating herself about what had happened, she moves on to worrying about what _could_ happen. She makes a mental note to ask her future self whether she should worry about time-traveling while driving the cruiser.

The details of what happened to Wynonna are a bit fuzzy, something that seems commonplace around here. Nicole is not surprised by the vague updates she gets with any case tied to the Black Badge Division, but she hopes that Waverly will help shine some light on the matter this time around.

They have been seeing each other officially, albeit discreetly, for a few weeks. Nicole has enjoyed having Waverly around the office. The day Waverly had finally been able to put to use all her years of research, she confessed to Nicole that she had been both nervous and excited to present her work to Dolls. Wynonna being there, apparently eating a sugar donut and making sarcastic comments, helped her relax some. It must have gone well, because they've gotten to see much more of each other.

“Did they catch the guy?” Nicole asks when Waverly walks in holding a paper cup of tea. “Nedley hasn’t debriefed me on anything yet.” 

“Well...yes and no.” Waverly sits down gingerly on the wooden chair next to Nicole’s bed, after checking her vitals on the monitor. “They got to him, but he…” Nicole can sense that Waverly is struggling with how much to tell her. “He didn’t make it.” 

“Did Wynonna see me…you know,” Nicole snaps her fingers.

“I don’t think so. She had already been…” She doesn’t need to continue for Nicole to get the gist. Waverly’s phone buzzes, and she glances down to read the text. Nicole looks back up at the ceiling. She senses when Waverly looks back in her direction. “Sorry, a lot is happening at BBD...”

Nicole would love to know what that entails. Though she knows the people across the hall at the station, she’s still on the outskirts of their circle. Even Nedley seems to be more in the know than he’s letting on. It’s frustrating to Nicole, to say the least. She signed up to protect and serve, and she can’t do that without knowing what she’s up against. But, she won’t put Waverly in the middle. Instead, she holds open her palm, and smiles at Waverly, who places her warm hand in hers. Nicole changes the subject. “Tell me about the Homestead. Is it coming along?”

“Yeah, I got a lot done in time for the party. It’s feeling more like a home every day. At least, _I_ think so.” Nicole studies her a moment. Waverly is looking at the faded print of one of Monet's Water Lilies on the wall, rubbing her thumb absentmindedly over Nicole’s fingers.

Nicole has seen the way Waverly has spent these past weeks looking after her sister however she could. The sisters’ relationship is complex, and stems from some traumatic past, from what Nicole has gathered. She doesn’t fully understand, but she feels a need to support Waverly--and by extension, Wynonna. 

Nicole waits for Waverly to continue, but she doesn’t. She can tell that Waverly is someplace else, lost in thought. “You OK?”

Waverly looks back, reassuringly. “Yeah, sorry. Just thinking…”

“You can talk to me, if you want. Remember, you told me that I will know everything there is to know about you. I can’t start visiting your past in my ignorant state. What would you think of me?”

Waverly purses her lips in an adorable little smile, but doesn’t comment. They’re quiet a moment longer, Nicole giving Waverly’s hand a little squeeze.

Then Waverly speaks up. “I can’t help but wonder how long Wynonna will stay. I mean, Curtis’s death is what brought Wynonna back from wherever, but...it’s not me that she’s staying for. There’s just a lot that she had left behind, and she’s trying to tie up loose ends. Maybe she already has...it’s just obligation--and burden--that’s keeping her here.” Nicole would like to think that Waverly’s sister would stay for her...but that’s proven to not be enough in the past, and she can’t help but feel a twinge of anger toward Wynonna at the moment.

Waverly shakes her head, as if to let go of those insecure thoughts. She sits a bit taller and takes a deep breath. “It doesn’t do to dwell on what I can’t change, so I will just have to focus on what I can,” she says, matter-of-factly. Nicole squeezes her hand, and smiles sympathetically. Waverly continues, “And if Wynonna decides to leave again, I will make sure she knows that I’ll be here for her if she ever wants to come back home.” 

Nicole can see that she’s not just trying to convince herself of it--she really means it. There’s a strength in Waverly’s eyes, and a wave of admiration swells in Nicole’s chest. In the short time that Nicole has known her, Waverly has time and again shown how tough she could be. Her determination and resilience are both captivating and alluring to Nicole. Waverly managed just fine without Wynonna, and she would be better than fine should she leave again. All Nicole says is, “I hope she stays. But even if she doesn’t, you won’t be alone.”

At that, Waverly beams at Nicole, and leans forward to give her a soft, careful kiss. They rest their foreheads gently against each other, quiet as the room hums and beeps.

“Nicole?” Waverly leans back a little to see her.

“Hm?”

“I’m sorry about what happened. To you. It mustn’t have been easy.”

Nicole laughs a bit at the absurdity of that. “Waves, I’m the one who should apologize--”

Waverly puts two fingers over Nicole’s lips before kissing them again. They drop it, understanding.

“You haven’t mentioned time traveling since we met at Shorty’s.” She’s looking down, running her finger over the lines on Nicole’s palm. “Have you gone very much since then? I mean, before yesterday?”

She hadn’t been feeling stressed, which is what usually triggers an episode for Nicole. But she laughs when she responds, “Actually, I did. Just last week. I only went back three days, and only for a few minutes. I was at home, with myself, having dinner.”

At this, Waverly laughs lightly, seeming to relax a bit. “I wish I could have been there to see that.” She adjusts Nicole’s pillow.

“Oh, you would have been bored. I didn’t even talk very much. I mean, I had just been me, so...you know, not much to share.” She had been greeted by herself after one of her shifts, and she was especially annoyed at the BBD team; not because of anything they did or said, particularly, but just because they seemed to be handling the more interesting cases while Nicole was often stuck doing paperwork. She tries not to let it bother her, recognizing that it’s jealousy or envy on her part, but… “Can I ask--who is that guy with the mustache that I keep seeing with you guys? Is he a part of BBD?” Nicole can feel Waverly stiffen a bit. “If you can’t say, that’s fine. I just wondered whether I should consider him a part of the team or…”

**WAVERLY:** Doc has been hanging around them quite a bit, she supposed, but not usually around the station. Though she shouldn’t be surprised at Nicole’s attentiveness, especially after all that’s happened. She hadn’t prepared for this, but there’s no way Waverly plans to leave Nicole in the dark.

She clears her throat, and shifts a little. She’s nervous. “Well. Actually.” _How do I begin?_ “Not officially, but he’s been helping out with some...missions. He’s sort of a...liaison, and has...insider...info.” She realizes she’s stammering, though Nicole just nods. Waverly could stop there, and considers doing so for a moment. She doesn’t want to add more stress upon Nicole while she’s in a hospital bed. Though, of course, they both know it’s only for observation. She decides that Nicole needs to know. “Nicole? You’ve told me that you don’t know anyone else who’s a CDP?”

“Right. Although, I haven’t really been spreading that around myself, so it may just be that we’re closeted.” Nicole is looking at her, clearly waiting to hear where Waverly’s going with this.

Waverly recognizes the same nervousness and excitement she felt when presenting all her work to Dolls that first time. She had a hunch about Doc, and followed her gut. She hasn’t told anyone, and is suddenly bubbling with excitement at the opportunity to spill the details of her discovery to Nicole. “Well, that guy with the mustache? His name is Doc.”

“Like the dwarf?”

“More like, the OK Corral?”

“Oh...K?”

She takes a quick breath. “What I’m trying to say is...I talked to Doc. And he’s a CDP.” 

Nicole’s face goes expressionless, and Waverly is unsure whether she should continue.

But she does. She explains the photo, her hunch, the confrontation--and she goes on; she tells Nicole about her family’s past (in brief), about BBD, about Dolls, Bobo, and how Doc is involved, and how Waverly herself has been contributing to it all.

When she’s done, she realizes that she just laid down _a lot_ of heavy information condensed in about two minutes, and is suddenly reminded once again of Nicole’s request three years ago to take it easy on her. _Do I have a problem taking things slow?_ “Sorry, I thought you should know.” Her heart is racing a bit, and she thinks to look over at the monitor to check Nicole’s.

Nicole takes only a second before saying, “Finally! Thank you. It... actually makes perfect sense.”

“Really?”

“I mean, I knew there was something up with this place, I just assumed there was some sort of mafia thing going on.”

“...really?” Waverly quirks an eyebrow at Nicole, cutely.

Nicole shrugs. “OK, we can get into the other stuff later. So, he’s THE Doc Holliday? He told you?”

Waverly shifts to sit right at the edge of her chair, and lowers her voice. “Yes, it’s him. I have a picture of Doc Holliday, and there’s no mistaking it. And he knows enough...I mean, I’m sure it’s him.”

“I always wondered why he talked like that.” Nicole shifts to sit up a bit higher. “Did he tell you he was a CDP?”

“He doesn’t actually know the term, and I think he believes he’s the only one, but he described it the same way you have.” Waverly quickly adds, “I didn’t tell him about you, of course.”

Nicole nods, thankful. “I’m...impressed?” It comes out as a question. “How can he travel so far into the future? I’ve only traveled in my own lifetime.”

“Right? And I still don’t understand how he’s managed to stay for this long.”

“Stay?”

“Yes! That’s the most bizarre thing. He said he’s figured out a way to stay in our present time.”

Nicole doesn’t say anything, and the silence seems to linger between them. A nurse comes in then, interrupting the quiet. He disconnects the adhesive buttons from Nicole’s chest, and the monitor flatlines. He leaves them alone after he lets Nicole know that he’s spoken to the doctor, and she’s free to go.

Waverly runs her hand through Nicole’s hair. “Want to come over?”

“To the Homestead?”

Perhaps Nicole is nervous to visit there for the first time, but Waverly feels a seal has finally been broken. “Yeah. You can see Wynonna, I can show you the barn, and I can fill you in on...everything! There’s so much I need to show you.”

The smile that Nicole gives her feels like summer blooming.


	5. Sunday, August 13, 1995 (Nicole is 5 and 24)

**NICOLE:** It’s the middle of October, just two days after Thanksgiving. There’s snow on the ground, and a frigid coldness in the air. She and Shae had just got off the phone with their lawyer, who informed them that their court hearing wouldn’t happen until February 13th. Nicole and Shae had to laugh at that--not only was that a Friday, but it was the day before Valentine’s Day. The finality of the situation was sinking in. 

They had decided that, perhaps, they had jumped into this marriage too quickly, and that they would be better off as just friends.  _ Sandra Bullock was right: relationships based on intense experiences never work _ . Fortunately, they were both civil people, and still cared for one another; but the logistics of it all is tiresome, and Nicole can feel a headache coming on. She knows what’s coming, so she goes into the kitchen and eats a granola bar and cheese stick, then lies down to wait for the inevitable.

Moments later, she’s surrounded by darkness, doubled over on uneven gravel. After steadying herself, letting the buzzing in her ears subside, she stands up and strains for her eyes to adjust. She’s on a beach, near a lake from the sounds of the water; the mosquitos are out with a vengeance, and Nicole is not protected. She walks a few steps away from the water, and trips on what turns out to be a canoe.  _ I hate canoes. _

She stands there, trying to figure out where she is. She’s not in the mood for this little adventure. She wants to be back, consoling and being consoled by Shae; wants to sulk, or go for a run. Wants to be alone, and rethink her future.

As she takes a moment to settle her thoughts, she hears water lapping at something nearby to her left. She makes her way toward the sound, treading carefully for fear of hitting another stupid canoe or stepping on a sharp rock, and holds her arms out in front of her. She reaches a platform, a dock, and feels a railing to her right with stairs leading up to a higher platform. She climbs the stairs and sees a dim light in the distance over the small hill.

There are more stairs to climb, built into the land. At the top, she finds many lights on many cabins. It only takes her a moment to recognize, remember, where she is; and she is relieved. Though she’d rather have been here under better circumstances, she knows that tonight is important. She tries to remember the first time, tries to figure out how much time she has to get ready.

She follows the path at the top of the stairs to her left, knowing exactly where to go, and walks less than five minutes to the main office. The lock is a simple one, and she has no trouble getting in. She grabs a couple of Patricia Lake novelty tees, one her size, and one “child small.” She continues on with swimsuits, shorts, socks, and water shoes. Grabbing a backpack from the rack, she stuffs the child-sized clothing in it, and proceeds to the other end of the room for bug spray, sunscreen, and assorted snacks. She takes a couple of bottled waters from the fridge behind the counter, and she’s ready.

She waits at the playground near the office. Dawn is approaching, and she’ll be here soon. She sits at one of the benches, and looks up at the disappearing stars. The day she met Shae, they spent the whole afternoon together, and stargazed that same night. It had been perfect, or so Nicole thought at the time. They seemed to have clicked, had fun at the concert, and after winning the thousands of dollars on the machines, took it as a sign; they spent some of their winnings and got married at the Little White Chapel.

Though Nicole was the first to say it out loud, their decision to split up was mutual. Even so, it sits heavily in Nicole’s heart. She cared for Shae, but the spark that she first felt when they met had fizzled out; aside from the mountain climbing and amazing taste in music, they had very little in common. Sure, they were both ambitious, tough, and up for adventures, but they had different beliefs, different values, different goals. As much as they wanted their relationship to work, they knew deep down that they would be better off as friends.

The sky is getting lighter now. Nicole hears a noise near the playhouse. She pushes Shae out of her mind, and stands up. “Nikki?” she says quietly, friendly.

“Mommy?”

“No, Nikki. I’m not Mommy. But don’t worry, you’re OK. I’m here to take care of you.” She pulls out the clothes from the backpack, and walks closer to the playhouse. “I brought you some clothes. I’ll leave them here on the floor. You can go in the playhouse to get dressed, OK? And I’ll be waiting here for you to be done and ready.”

Nicole sees a small, slim arm reach for the clothes, and hears the little playhouse door open and close. A few minutes later (it’s tough getting dressed when you’re a kid), Nikki walks out, wearing her long auburn hair in a loosening braid down her back. She’s a mini version of Nicole.

“Where am I?” Her voice sounds so small.

Nicole tries to remember. “Well, you were in your room, about to go to sleep. But you have a special talent that I bet you didn’t know about.” Nicole says this excitedly; this needs to be positive and fun, at least for now. “You’re at the cabin again--from last week, remember? The one you came to with Aunt Dani and Uncle Claude.” Her heart aches a little at saying their names out loud.

“How did I get here?”

“Well, that’s your special talent.” Nicole reaches for her backpack. “Are you hungry? I have a bag of trail mix, if you’d like some.” She gestures for Nikki to sit on the picnic table, and sets the bag and a bottle of water next to her. “Believe it or not, you can time travel. Do you know what that means?”

Nikki looks skeptical, but nods.

“You just time traveled for the first time.”

Nikki considers, scooping a handful of trail mix into her mouth. “To last week?”

“Um. No, actually. it’s mid-August now. So you traveled about a month into the future. Which is actually pretty cool, because we don’t normally travel forward very often.”

“So you time travel, too?”

_ Duh, Nicole. “ _ Sorry, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m you, from the future.” Seeing the far-off look in Nikki’s eyes, Nicole knows she has to try again. “So, you traveled one month into the future, and I traveled…19 years into the past. But you and I are the same person. I’m you, when you’re 24.” Nicole remembered thinking that 24 was so mature--like, a  _ grown-up _ grown-up.

Nikki is quiet for a moment, thinking. She looks down at her clothes, and back at her snack. Nicole knows that she doesn’t fully understand; that something  _ had _ to have happened for her to suddenly be there, but time travel is a hard thing to grasp.

“I remember having so much fun here. It was really nice going out to the dock. And it was really nice of that family to let us use their raft to play with.” She hopes this will solidify her claim. Nikki is still processing, but Nicole is getting through to her.

“You’ll be here for quite a while, and I know you’re probably tired since you were about to go to bed, but we can walk around for a bit if you’d like before you have to go back.”

“How do I go back?”

“That’ll just happen on its own. You can’t really control it. But, since I was already you, I know that we have a little time to check out the lake, or go on a hike.” That gets Nikki excited, and she eats and drinks more quickly. “I remember we weren’t able to go to Pyramid Lake. Do you want to do that now?”

Her brown eyes grow wide with excitement. “Yeah!” She bounces in her seat. “This is going to be so cool, they have a small island in the middle of the lake, and we could go all the way to the island because they have a bridge that they built so anyone could walk to it, or if you use a wheelchair you can get to it too, for people who are in wheelchairs, and the island is small so you can walk all the way around it a bunch of times if you wanted to, but Aunt Dani said that you shouldn’t walk just anywhere because you’ll trample the plants and destroy them, but you can still see all the pretty flowers and cute animals, and they have a shelter there where you can picnic.”

“Do you know how to get us there?” Of course, Nicole knows the answer.

“Yes, because we were planning to go but then it rained and we didn’t have time to go there  _ and _ to Maligne Canyon, and Uncle Claude really wanted to see the bridges--and we saw a raven’s nest inside one of the cliffs!--but we drove past the lake one time when we turned left instead of right, and that’s why I wanted to see it in the first place but we couldn’t go to it because of the rain, but I saw it and it’s not too far away.”

_ To be fair, the raven’s nest  _ was _ pretty cool.  _ “Great. I’m ready when you are.”

Nikki collects her snack and walks to the trash can near the main office, then goes around back to a water fountain near the bathrooms to refill her water. It’s a strange feeling for Nicole. She knows that children aren’t usually this thoughtful in their planning, and is proud of herself. At the same time, she feels a twinge of sadness at having to essentially grow up enough to take care of herself at such a young age.

Nikki is back. “Ready.”

They walk down the long, dirt driveway out to the main road, turn left instead of right, and proceed to walk up the hilly and windy road toward the lake. They point out interesting things to each other, and discuss a plan for if they encountered any elk, moose, or bears. Nikki guesses at what they might see on the lake, and wishes they could go out onto the water. After about an hour of walking, taking their time, they reach their destination.

“Look...” Nikki points excitedly at the bridge, trying to get Nicole’s attention; though she already had it.

“You can call me Nicole.”

“Look, Nicole! It’s the bridge!” She runs ahead, and stands at the center of said bridge, looking into the water. It’s early enough that nobody is here yet, so they have the whole little island all to themselves.

After walking about 200 meters to the other end of the small island, Nikki decides she wants to learn how to skip rocks--a goal Nicole still has yet to accomplish.

“Hey Nicole, why are you called Nicole? Everyone calls me Nikki.”

“Yeah, you’ll get sick of that in a couple of years.” As she gets older and grows more independent, she’ll want a more mature name for herself so as not to feel so childish.

“Oh.” Nikki looks for more pebbles that she thought would be perfect skipping stones. “What’s it like in the future?”

“I’m not really supposed to tell you. It’s a rule we made up a long time ago...for me.”

“Why?” She’s more curious than disappointed.

“Well. I learned-- _ we learned-- _ that if we know our future, then it sort of makes everything we do…”-- _ meaningless--  _ “boring. It takes all the fun out of it. So then we feel sad about it.” It’s best not to know the things she can’t change. She’d tried telling herself the future when she was younger, and tried to change it. Of course, it hadn’t worked. It made her feel like, no matter what she did, her life was already written and there was no way for her to control it.

Her mind goes back to Aunt Dani and Uncle Claude. She tried to save them, more than once, but it always ended the same for all of them. Nicole has been back there countless times, and doesn’t try anymore. It’s torture. She wonders sometimes if that moment in her life is her living hell, and every moment outside of that is her resurrection into a normal life, only to be brought back to a seemingly eternal punishment.

Nikki snaps her out of it. “Did you hear that?” She looks out to the water. “I think it’s a loon! Listen!” They’re quiet for a couple of heartbeats, and then they both hear it. Nikki frowns. “I think someone is bothering them, because Aunt Dani said they don’t normally call out like that, and that they nest on the shore where people could reach them, so we should leave them alone if we get too near...that’s not very nice.” She’s moved on to looking for a good stick, decent for swirling in the water and making little whirlpools.

Maybe public service is more deeply rooted in her than she had previously thought. Even at five, Nicole can see how difficult it is for Nikki to accept the victimization of people or animals; even the plants that have been trampled by the countless tourists was upsetting. It gives Nicole hope that, even if things with Shae don’t work out, she’s on the right path. She just needs to stay focused, finish her last semester and get her BA, and enroll in the academy.

“Can I get in the water?”

“I did, so I guess yes.” She’s amusing only herself, because Nikki doesn’t seem to catch onto anything other than “yes.”

Nicole watches herself splash around, careful not to let the water get past her knees. She keeps jumping in and out, playing a game with herself. The sadness creeps back into Nicole’s mind, for the child she was in this moment, and the one she would be in just a couple of years, when she’d have to learn how to do the things she’s so morally against; pick pockets, steal, pick locks, lie. But that reality also helped her realize that life is not broken down into good and bad. It helped build her judgment, consider variables, be patient, empathetic, flexible, and fair. She has made a great effort to live her life justly, to balance out the hard things she needed to do in moments of survival. And she’ll carry that knowledge with her to remind herself of that every time she puts on her police uniform.

Nikki is now trying to lure a squirrel over with the promise of food, but they must have surprised it, because it’s chirping angrily at them. Nicole remembered the squirrel, and then remembered herself. “Listen, Nikki. You’re going to travel back home soon, but I wanted to let you know first that...this, time traveling, is going to happen to you pretty frequently. I won’t be there the next time it happens to you, but you don’t have to be scared. You’ll travel to safe places, OK? But you’ll also have to figure out where you are and where to go on your own. Oh, and you can tell Mommy and Daddy. They don’t know about this talent yet...they won’t believe you at first, and that’s OK. It’s sort of a hard thing to believe unless you see it, right?” She smiles reassuringly. “But they’ll believe you eventually. And I’m proof that everything will be fine.”

Nikki goes introverted again, and looks right at Nicole. “So next time, I’m going to be alone?”

Nicole knows she’s scared. “Yes, you’ll be alone most of the time it happens, but you always end up OK because you’re clever and resourceful. You’re good at figuring things out, and getting help when you can.”

Nikki takes a couple of steps closer to Nicole. Her feet are full of wet dirt. “But how will I know what to do?”

Nicole knows she’ll be OK. “Well, really, you can do whatever you’d like, right? Remember this is an adventure. Look at today--you sometimes get to do the things you wanted to do but couldn’t. Sometimes you don’t--sometimes it’s boring and you just sit around for a while.” She breaks her rule, because she remembered it had helped make her feel better. “And, I said I wasn’t supposed to tell you, buuuuut…” she feigns contemplation. “The next time you time travel, you’re going to be at school when nobody else is there, and you’ll get to play with all the crayons and clay and paint without anyone telling you that you have to be done. It’s going to be sooooo much fun.”

A smile creeps onto Nikki’s face, and Nicole can see the wheels turning in her mind, thinking of all the things she’d be able to do at school when nobody else is there. Nikki lets out a mischievous squeak of excitement, and then...she’s gone. Nicole smiles, sighs, and then goes to pick up the small, wet pile of clothing left behind on the ground. She lays it out on a bench to dry in the sun, and walks back through the island, taking her time to examine the different foliage. 

Nicole doesn’t know how long she’ll be staying, and is starting to get hungry. She decides to try the resort they passed on the way in, hoping she can fib her way into a free meal. But just as the resort comes into view, she collapses back into her own bed.

She’s alone. It’s dark out, and the room is cold. She lies there for a moment; suddenly, she doesn’t feel so hungry. Calamity Jane jumps onto the bed to greet her, purring loudly. She gives her some scratches under her chin, then gets up to grab a tank top and sweatpants, and calls it a night.


	6. Tuesday, July 13, 2006 (Nicole is 16 and 6)

**NICOLE:** Nicole was not in the best condition when it happened. But it rarely is convenient, so what did she expect?

She’d decided to go to Linnea’s party at the insistence of Jeremy.  _ It’ll be a good time _ , he said.  _ Come out and have some fun _ , he said. Maybe she took him too literally. She forgets herself sometimes.

Linnea’s parents have a few acres of land, so everyone just parked where they could and met out in the field where a large bonfire was going. There was beer. Lots of it. Cheap stuff that was pretty watered down. It tastes terrible, though maybe Nicole just hasn’t acquired a taste for the stuff yet. Still, after a few sips, it goes down easily. And, being only 16, Nicole is feeling a buzz early on. She stays close to Jeremy, until he goes to pee in the woods and is whisked away by his crush on his way back. Nicole can’t blame him for abandoning her, but she’ll give him crap for it later anyway.

Everyone is friendly, though. She’s surprised, actually, at how many people she knows. Mary and Vanessa from Mr. Housley’s class are here, and even Jenny from track. She orbits their way, and they welcome her easily. She  _ is _ having fun. As the night goes on, and some of the kids head home, they are still over a dozen--they talk in pairs or in small groups scattered around the fire. Nicole’s parents don’t care how late she is out, and don’t ever bother to ask where she’s going. They’re lucky Nicole is as responsible as she is.

She sits on a log propped up on cinder blocks, next to Heather, who she knows simply from attending the same schools for some time, but doesn’t share any classes with this year. Heather has always been friendly to her, even when she was the new kid in school. They chat about nothing in particular at first, but the alcohol helps their reservation and they’re soon talking like old friends. It’s the longest they’d ever spoken to each other. Nicole is mostly listening, while Heather rambles drunkenly about Damien, her boyfriend...or ex-boyfriend, she’s not sure now that they’ve had some disagreement about something Nicole has trouble following. Nicole shares her experience with the only boyfriend she ever had, Anthony, and how she just knew almost immediately that they weren’t right for each other. She gave him a fair chance, but ultimately had to end it. Heather is empathetic to the “heartbreaking” story, and seems to feel better about her own relationship (at least they’re still together...sort of).

They move on to talk about their parents, and how ridiculous and out-of-touch adults are, and then laugh at some inside jokes about the teachers at school. A couple of other kids, Denise and Aaron, hear the laughter, and join them.

This goes on for quite some time, and Nicole is feeling rather tipsy and happy...silly, even. As Heather regales them in another funny story, Nicole studies her lips, trying to focus on the words they’re framing. They look soft. She has the sudden urge to kiss them for no other reason than because the thought came to mind. So, she does. She kisses Heather, to everyone’s shock.

It’s a friendly kiss, and she pulls away to smile at Heather, who just looks amused. “Sorry, you were talking too much,” she jokes. Heather shoves her, laughing.

“Nicole, did you just kiss Heather?” Denise sounds incredulous.

“Um...yeah, I guess so.” She slurs. This makes a few kids laugh along...but not Denise.

“Wait, so do you like  _ girls _ ?”

“Yeah,” she hiccups, “they’re the best.” More kids laugh; some with Nicole, and others for other reasons. Nicole continues, indifferently, smiling, “Have  _ you _ ever kissed a girl?”

“Ew, no!” Denise says defensively.

“Huh...well, you should try it sometime. You might like it.” At that, Denise rolls her eyes and walks away while being teased by some boys making immature whooping noises at her. Nicole gets up from the log, making a show of dusting off her hands. “Welp, I guess that’s my cue to be going home. See you, guys. Bye, Heather.”

“Bye, Nicole...hey, next time, wait to kiss me until Damien is watching.” Nicole gives her a wink and a finger gun, and begins the too-long walk to her car. But once there, and being the responsible person that she is, she doesn’t think she’ll be able to drive back in her current condition, and she figuresJeremy had hitched a ride home a while ago. So, she decides to walk home. It will probably take her an hour, but she likes moving anyway, and it’s a really nice night. She fumbles with her keys while attempting to get into her trunk. She finally manages, and pulls out the reflective bands that she uses when going on early-morning runs when the sun is not quite up yet.

And so she walks. There are more bugs than she’d have liked, but the occasional breezes help enough. Her head is swimming.  _ OK. I need to drink a lot of water when I get home. Water. Lots of water. _ She knows she will pay for it in the morning. After about 45 minutes, she feels better; doesn’t feel so hot and sweaty. But her hangover is already getting to her head. She needs to sit down, but she’s so close to getting home. She decides to continue, rubbing her temples in hopes that it will do something. Her legs suddenly give out, and she’s falling onto the ground in the woods.

It’s bright out--a cloudless, sunny afternoon, which isn’t doing much to ease the pain behind her eyes. It’s difficult for her to see clearly, but she isn’t sure how much of it has to do with the alcohol in her system. She doesn’t feel fully present, as though a fog hovers at the edge of her vision. She looks down, and sure enough, she isn’t wearing clothes. She glances around--in a nearby clearing, she sees hundreds of empty cars. She walks over, making sure nobody is around, and tests a few of the doors. She gets lucky on the fourth try and manages to score a black t-shirt that was discarded on the dashboard, and a pair of jogging shorts. The shirt has been in direct sunlight, and feels unpleasant in this heat. There are men’s tennis shoes, which she slips on over her too-small, bare feet.

After securing a wardrobe, she takes a moment to try to identify her surroundings. There is a lot of noise coming from the woods northeast of the clearing. She decides to take a look, figuring it’s some concert or something. She begins to walk in the direction that the cars are facing, toward the noise. She’s dragging her feet as she walks. Not only does she feel sluggish from a long night of drinking, this heat is pretty brutal despite the shade the trees are providing.

Moments later, she realizes that she can no longer hear the same sound. She stops, trying to reorient herself. She hears flowing water, so she walks toward that sound instead. She quickly gets to the source. There, a wide river glimmers a beautiful carmine red in the setting sun.

She follows the river upstream, the woods to her right. She’s about to give up on finding anything and just jump into the river to cool off, when she notices something coming down the river toward her. She stops to look at...a canoe? She isn’t sure why, but she suddenly feels a chill run down her spine, despite the heat. She hears the lazy sound of the flowing water, but nothing else.  _ Why can’t I hear any birds? _

Carefully, she makes her way toward the woods to hide behind a tree, and studies the approaching canoe. As it floats slowly past, she sees only a little girl sitting in it, facing upstream, a dark plaid blanket wrapped around her. She recognizes the girl at once. There’s no mistaking it. She is seeing herself as a small child. This is the first time she’s traveled into the past and not remembered where she was or what was happening.

For a moment, she considers jumping into the water to lend herself a hand. Maybe her parents left her unattended; unfortunately, not something that was uncommon. But, she decides against it. After all, here she is, so everything must have worked out. And anyway, little Nicole doesn’t seem panicked, which brings her some reassurance.

Once the canoe floats far enough away that she’s sure she won’t be seen, Nicole walks back down closer to the water.  _ I don’t remember this. Am I dreaming? _ She rubs her eyes, trying to clear the fog in her periphery. She kneels down to splash some water onto her face. It’s only then that she realizes; the glowing red she saw earlier in the river, stunningly contrasting the dark green of the forest--it was actually  _ in _ the water, not a reflection of the pink and orange sky. The water is tinted with blood. A lot of blood.

Nicole looks up river, unsure of what to do.  _ Is there someone up there who needs help?  _ She considers whether she should go against the current, or follow herself downstream. 

She doesn’t have much longer. She decides to move up the river into the unknown, convincing herself once again that little Nicole will be OK. As she trudges forward, she can feel herself losing her grip on her existence, so she begins to run on unsteady legs. The water is getting brighter, the red more vivid. Her heart is racing, but not because of exertion. She can see a gap in the woods a little farther up. She urges herself to just stay long enough to see.  _ Come on, keep it together. Almost there. _

When she reaches the edge of the clearing, she stops short. At first, she doesn’t understand what she’s seeing. Heaps of bloody clothing are covering every inch of ground. She takes only a couple of steps forward, and then understands. Hundreds if not thousands of corpses, lifeless on the ground, blood flowing thickly into the river.

Nicole gives out a small cry, clasping her hands over her mouth, and collapses onto her knees. Her heart is pounding so fast, it aches in her chest. She’s breathing heavily into her palms, her eyes darting everywhere, trying to understand what's happened, looking for someone or something that could explain this. Instead, she only sees lifeless, unfamiliar faces looking back at her.

She shouldn’t be here, she thinks, and fumbles to her feet. She breaks into a sprint, trying to catch up to her younger self. She makes her way back toward the river, but stays inside the edge of the woods to stay hidden from...she doesn’t know. “Oh, god. Oh, god,” she whimpers between sobs. She trips on a tree root and tumbles to the ground, a shooting pain running up her leg. Her ankle is sprained, or broken, but she forces herself to get up and keep moving. She’s hopping on one foot, using the nearby trees to steady herself. She falls again, this time landing in the dark, along the side of the road where she had been walking home from the party.

She’s breathing hard--shaking from the terror she’s just witnessed--and crying, sobbing, as the memory of what had happened that day all comes rushing back to her.


	7. Saturday, March 4, 2017 (Waverly is 21, Nicole is 27)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the last chapter was a bit brutal, so hoping this one balances it out a little for you.

**WAVERLY:** The room is buzzing. Everyone seems to be in especially good moods, likely due to the unseasonably mild weather they had yesterday--a reminder of spring lurking just around the corner. Waverly hopes that the cheerfulness of the party, along with some champagne, will make for a successful night.

“Waves!” Chrissy is motioning for her to join her at the tall table against the far wall in the large foyer. Mercedes insisted on hosting the event at her mansion instead of renting a venue. “Every last penny is going toward this damn charity. I have plenty of room, and plenty of booze. The second we raise enough money, I don’t have to think about it for another year.”

The Gardners are an elite family in Purgatory who have held various fundraisers every year, this time for scholarships. Mercedes has inherited the duty of maintaining the family’s reputation, though she mostly keeps it up to help promote her own image. She’s had Chrissy help her the last couple of years with the finer details of planning and coordinating, both strong suits of hers.

Chrissy hands Waverly a flute of champagne. “Well, this turned out well, I think,” Chrissy says, with a satisfied sigh. “It’s only been about twenty minutes, but there are already quite a few bids on the stuff we put out, even that hideous mirror I found in Dad’s ‘artifacts’,” she adds with air quotes. “You look great, by the way! Blue looks  _ so _ good on you.”

“Thank you,” Waverly peeps, swatting away the compliment. Truthfully, Waverly took extra care to look good tonight, even spending upwards of an hour getting her hair in a neat tight bun, and buying a new (and a bit pricey) sleeveless turquoise form-fitting mermaid dress. She hasn’t had a reason to dress up since Nicole has met her, and she hopes tonight will leave a lasting impression.

“You did such a great job coordinating all of this! Everything looks beautiful and people seem to be having a good time.” She  _ clinks  _ her glass to Chrissy’s and takes a sip, the bubbles tickling her nose. “So, whose idea was the beer fountain?”

Chrissy blushes a bit, and looks regretfully over at the unseemly fountain on one of the tables in the main auction room. It’s made up of green beer bottles that continuously pour into a pool of foam, with a tap at the bottom for anyone who wants a glass. The beer fountain doesn’t quite fit in with the black tie affair, but she has to admit that people seem to enjoy it. 

Chrissy tries to laugh it off. “Wynonna was here once when I stopped by to go over the plans with Mercedes, and you know how those two are. It started as a joke, but…” She rolls her eyes and sips her drink.

Waverly smiles at Chrissy, and rubs her arm sympathetically. She knows what a perfectionist Chrissy is about this sort of thing, and how Wynonna can get carried away with a crazy idea. Add Mercedes to the mix, and well…

“Chrissy, you’ve outdone yourself.” Robin walks up to them, with Jeremy in tow.

“Doesn’t it look great? I think everyone is having a good time.”

Waverly hugs Robin, and then Jeremy. Though Jeremy is new to their little group, Waverly already feels a close bond with him--not only because Dolls has made them all work several long, late nights at headquarters the last couple of weeks since he joined the team, but also because Waverly can’t help but feel a connection with someone who’s known Nicole for almost as long as she herself has. Plus, he and Robin (who has been helping out BBD with some of his botanical expertise) seem to be inseparable these days, so it just feels like he’s always been a part of the group.

“Unacceptable,” Chrissy feigns shock. “You guys should  _ not  _ be walking around without some champagne!”

“Someone order champagne?” Wynonna is holding two flutes in one hand, and two opened bottles in another.

“Va-va-voom! Wynonna,  _ nice dress!” _

“Keep it in your pants, lady,” Wynonna responds as Chrissy takes a bottle from her. But Waverly knows she’s dressed to impress, too, albeit opting for a more sexy, seductive, femme fatale vibe in her tight scarlet low-cut dress.

Chrissy takes the flutes and begins pouring a glass for Robin. Wynonna takes a swig of the other bottle, noticing Waverly’s teasing glare. “What? It was almost empty.” She elbows Jeremy brusquely, tilting the bottle in his direction. “Here, Doogie. Have some.” Jeremy stammers, but Chrissy is already sliding his own drink in front of him.

“Why don’t I take you guys around, there are so many great things to bid on! Wynonna, will you let Mercedes know that all the dates are here?” Chrissy loops her arm in Robin’s, and begins to guide him toward the main room, where all the tables are laid out with items up for auction. Robin looks back pleadingly at Jeremy, who doesn’t make a move to follow; instead, he raises his glass to Robin and smiles.

But Waverly slinks her arm into Jeremy’s. “You’re coming too, mister.” 

“Yeah, OK,” he agrees with an awkward nod, and they make their way into the auction room. 

Chrissy is animated as she whisks Robin from place to place, but Waverly is happy taking her time. She’s standing next to Jeremy as he examines an ancient-looking clay vase with engraved characters that Waverly doesn’t recognize.

Ever since Nicole introduced him to the team after recruiting him as the new lab guy for BBD, Waverly’s been itching to pick his brain. She wants to know everything that Jeremy knows. But she isn’t sure _ how much _ he knows.

As she and Jeremy make their way further into the auction room, something catches her eye. Or, rather, someone.

Nicole Haught is looking ravishing. She’s wearing a stunning violet and white one-shoulder dress that goes so well with her red hair, which she’s wearing down in soft curls. It takes her breath away, sparking something in Waverly that has her wanting nothing more than to walk up to her and slide her hands over her figure and through her hair. As if sensing it, Nicole turns her attention from Nedley directly toward Waverly. Her lips part into a flirty smile, and Waverly’s lips feel suddenly tingly and warm, longing to be kissed.

“So how long have you known Nicole?”

Jeremy’s sudden question startles Waverly out of her trance. He looks at her a moment, and then moves along down the table. “Oh! Uh--” she’s not quite sure how to answer that. “A while now.” She looks back over to Nicole, but Kenny is standing between them, obstructing her view.

Waverly turns her attention back to Jeremy, who is setting down a...garden gnome? Waverly questions the value of the item, and thinks to ask Chrissy about it later.“You guys grew up together, right?”

“Yeah, we’ve known each other since grade school. She’s been like a sister to me,” he looks over to Nicole. “I missed her. A lot.”

Waverly knows the feeling of missing Nicole all too well. “Yeah, me too.” 

She realizes instantly what she said, and freezes. “I mean…you know…” she starts, looking at the space over Jeremy’s head, searching for a way to recover, but she’s drawing a blank.

Jeremy looks at her, confused. “Yeah…” He turns to face her directly now, tilting his head inquisitively. “So,  _ how long _ have you known her?”

Waverly’s heart races a bit. There is suspicion in his voice, but Waverly can’t be sure what it means. “A  _ while _ ,” is all she says, raising her eyebrows, hoping that he’ll take the hint, if he’s looking for one.

He squints at her, and then his eyes go wide as though he realizes something. He holds his palms up as he bounces on his heels a bit, seemingly working to tailor his next question. Leaning in, he asks in a low voice, “Have you seen her naked?”

Waverly can feel her face turn scarlet. “What? I--”

Jeremy shakes his head and waves his hands in front of him, erasing what he just said from the air and trying again. “Have you seen her when you...didn’t expect to?”

Realizing where this is going, Waverly says the most deliberate “YES” she can muster. Next thing she knows, she and Jeremy are holding hands and jumping up and down, earning some stares from the elderly couple to their right. Waverly pulls Jeremy out of the auction room, through the foyer, and into a study at the back of the house.

“Jeremy, I’m  _ dying _ to know everything!”

“Me too! I didn’t know anyone here knew! Even people back at home didn’t know!”

They both know the rules, so Waverly is relieved to not have to explain why Nicole would have visited her all her life, and what that could mean about their current relationship. That will be for Nicole to share, when she’s ready to. Instead, Waverly gets to hear all the normal things you’d learn about someone from an old friend. Not only some silly stories, but some heartbreaking ones too.

Nicole truly was like a sister to Jeremy, especially after his parents passed. They did everything together, even celebrating holidays, just the two of them. And he was a rock for Nicole as well, covering for her when she suddenly vanished, and being there when she’d return. He helped her cope through it all when her parents stopped bothering. 

It was strange to think that, in real time, Nicole and Jeremy had each other at the same time that Waverly and Wynonna were supporting each other too. But Wynonna left her, and though she has forgiven her for leaving, it was still hard for Waverly to have to fend for herself. But Nicole was there, too; ironically, the constant comfort in her life.

They talked about the logistical inconveniences of Nicole’s disorder, about how hard it was in those moments, not knowing where Nicole had gone or when she’d be back. It felt so good to have someone who could relate to her, someone who understood exactly what she felt.

They talked about the massacre. Nicole went back to it a couple of months ago, and shared the events of that day with Waverly. According to Jeremy, Nicole had been cast back there about a dozen times. Waverly knew it wasn’t Nicole’s first time there, but had no idea it had been that many. Not for the first time, Waverly reflects on the fact that both she and Nicole had both experienced extraordinarily turbulent childhoods. It’s a wonder they’d come out of it on the other end as sane as they are... _ or are we? _

“The way that the sheriff took care of her really left an impression.” Nicole, as a teenager, was basically completely independent. She didn’t rely on her parents for anything anymore, not even affection. “She didn’t realize how much she needed saving, needed to let herself be saved, until she saw it happen to her former self.” Jeremy explains that Nicole witnessing her own rescue was the pivotal moment in her life that made her decide to go into public service as a police officer. She wanted to be there for those who needed saving, and for those who didn’t know they needed it, too.

About an hour goes by, and Waverly feels they’ve only scratched the surface. “There you are! Waves, we have to get the date auction going!” Chrissy doesn’t wait for a response, already giving orders to someone out of Waverly’s view and walking away.

Waverly turns back to Jeremy and takes his hands in hers. “I’m really glad that Nicole had you growing up.”

“I’m glad she has us both now.”

Waverly shrugs her shoulders and scrunches her nose. They stand, and get back to the front of the house. Waverly drops Jeremy off with Robin and makes her way to the kitchen, now the “set up” room. Chrissy is already tallying the bids, and Waverly sidles up next to her to help track the winners on a notepad.

“I swear to god, if I have to rub shoulders with any more rich white men, I’m going to set my hair on fire.” Mercedes is eating something wrapped in bacon off of one of the hors d’oeuvres plates.

“Hey, at least that’s the only thing you have to rub to get the cash.” Wynonna plucks the bacon wrap from Mercedes’ fingers, with an eyebrow lift, and pops it into her mouth.

“Yeah, well, next year remind me to just whore myself out instead.” She gives Wynonna a grimace. “Haven’t you already had, like, 5 of those?”

“Yeah, so? It’s bacon.”

“Speaking of whoring people out, we’re ready for the date auction. I’ve got everyone ready to go.” Chrissy tallies the last of the bids, with an exaggerated dot punctuating the last decimal.

“Where are we at?”

“Not bad. We’re going to have to rely heavily on the dates.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

“What are you so worried about,” Wynonna says through a mouth full of fancy donut holes from one of the dessert trays. “You’re a hustler, babe. You could sell razors to a hipster.”

“You’re right, I’ve got this.” Mercedes adjusts the skirt of her dress, and puts her game face on. “If I can convince the judge that Tucker is anything but a sleazy parasite with B.O., then I can sure as hell do this.” She lets out a short exhale. “OK, go time.”

Moments later, Waverly ushers the guests to the living room, where a few tables are set up, some rows of chairs, and a small platform for the auction. She surveys the room once more before heading back into the foyer. “Everything’s ready.”

“Great.” Chrissy checks something off her clipboard, tears the sheet off the pad, and hands it to Mercedes. “Here’s the list, in order by introduction.”

“Awesome,” Mercedes says flatly before heading into the living room. Seconds later, Waverly can see her with a convincing smile plastered on her face, welcoming the guests.

There’s nothing more for Waverly to do, so she leaves Chrissy to her duties, and heads into the living room to stand at one of the tall tables off to the side, and is joined by Robin and Jeremy, and Nicole. She chances a longing look at her, admiring the way she fits in that dress. Nicole inches a bit closer to her, and Waverly can feel the heat radiating from her body. She wants nothing more than to press her body against Nicole’s right now.

Her thoughts are interrupted by Mercedes’s voice, announcing the start of the final auctioning event of the evening.

The first date being auctioned off is with Chrissy herself. And the first to bid on her is Tucker, who is immediately scolded by Mercedes, reminding him that he’s bidding with her money. Chrissy gains quite a few bids from various gents in the crowd, but they are all outbid by Nedley, who is looking quite irritable.

While they started on a high note, the next date is with Carl--not exactly what they were looking for in a candidate, but he insisted on being included for some reason, and Chrissy didn’t want to discriminate.

The only bet came from Bethany, his girlfriend. Mercedes tries her best to talk him up, but is met with silence. She mutters “stupid Carl” under her breath before announcing Bethany the winner. Chrissy promptly hands Bethany the golden ticket that guarantees her date for the evening.

Up next is Perry, followed by Stephanie, and then one of the volunteer firefighters who is in full gear. He garners the most bids so far.

As the auction continues, Nicole suddenly leans in close, her lips softly grazing Waverly’s earlobe, and whispers, “You look really sexy in that dress.” The words slither into Waverly’s ear, soft and warm, and then just like that, Nicole turns her attention back to the event as though she hadn’t just stirred something inside Waverly. She’s tormenting her, and she knows it.

Dolls is up next, looking very serious and very handsome in his black suit and tie. Waverly can already see some of the women getting ready to bid but before they get the chance, Mercedes makes a lavish offer and then immediately closes the bidding for a short intermission. Tucker whines about the unfairness of her bidding after having just been scolded. “Shut up, Tucker,” Mercedes shoots at him dismissively as she steps off the platform.

But Waverly is only half paying attention, her mind still on Nicole’s words, tortured by thoughts they’ve left to her imagination. But then she notices Chrissy walk past their table toward Mercedes, just as Wynonna is walking quickly away from her. Unsure of what’s going on, she’s obligated to excuse herself from her table. “Hey guys, I’m just going to take a quick look to see if I can help Chrissy with anything.” As she stands, she uses the excuse of maneuvering around the table to place her hand on Nicole’s shoulder. “I won’t be long,” she adds, for Nicole’s benefit.

She makes her way, reaching Chrissy’s side.

“--thought we had more people, is that really it?”

“Yeah, those are the only people on the list I gave you--”

“OK, he’s in,” Wynonna interrupts as she rejoins them.

“That was fast.”

Waverly feels lost. “What’s wrong? Who’s in what?”

Chrissy catches her up to speed. “We’re shy of our goal, and we have nothing, and no one, left to auction.” 

“I can do it,” Waverly offers, but is immediately shot down by Wynonna.

“What, so some sleazy old man can have a chance to get grabby with my little sister? I don’t think so. Anyway, Doc said he’d do it.”

“Really? How’d you get him to agree?” Mercedes looks skeptical.

“I have my ways.” Wynonna theatrically winks at Mercedes.

“Ew. OK, but even if we get a decent amount, it won’t be enough. What if we sell something else. Give me your necklace.”

“Pfft. Fat chance.”

“Wow. You’re a horrible friend.”

“Dude, I just asked my ‘it’s complicated’ to auction himself off for you.  _ And _ , I even bid on that weird Purgatory-themed plate the firefighters were obsessing over to get them to shell out more cash. I am an  _ awesome _ friend.”

“OK, fine, I love you, but if we don’t get someone else, I’m just going to donate the rest of the damn money myself and be done with it.”

Wynonna’s eyes go bright with a thought. “Let’s put Ginger Haught up there!”

A dozen alarms go off in Waverly’s head. “Oh, that’s not--”

But she’s interrupted by Mercedes. “Would she go for that?”

“Guys, I don’t think--”

“Let’s not give her a chance to think about it.” Wynonna is already walking away. “OK, Chrissy, go prep Doc. Mercedes, get back up there, I’ll give Nicole a little nudge first.”

They break away, leaving Waverly to stand there by herself.

It happens too fast.

Waverly watches helplessly as Mercedes starts back up. She enthusiastically announces Nicole as the next date up for auction. Nicole looks like a deer in the headlights, and opens her mouth to protest, but Wynonna is right there to take the drink from her hand and forcefully “nudge” her up onto the stage.

“The winner will get to spend the rest of the evening with this hot cop...”

“I’m flattered, but I didn’t--”

“...so let’s start the bidding at $100, gentlemen--”

“One hundred,” calls Rosita. Nicole looks back at Rosita with a flattered expression on her face. Waverly bristles, and walks back to her table, taking the drink Wynonna hands her. 

“...or ladies, great. OK, one hundred, do I hear one-fifty?”

“Two hundred,” Tucker calls out dully from the front row, and Nicole’s expression goes back to panic.

Rosita smiles at him, and looks back toward Nicole. “Three hundred.”

“Five hundred!”

“Tucker,” Mercedes leans into the microphone, “if you bid any more of my money, I’m canceling your subscription to Lifetime!”

Waverly moves her attention from a chastised Tucker back to Rosita, who seems to think for a second before shrugging her shoulders and taking a sip of her drink, declaring defeat.

Just then, Jeremy shows up with a pint of fountain beer. Waverly was so focused on Nicole that she hadn’t noticed he was gone. “What’d I miss?” He looks up to see Nicole looking peevish on stage. “Why’s Nicole up there?” He looks to Waverly for an explanation. The answer must be written all over her face. “Oh, boy.”

“Five hundred going once, going twice…”

“A thousand!”

Everyone turns in surprise to look at Jeremy, whose eyes dart between Mercedes and Nicole.

“Wow, really?”

“Hey,” Nicole says, offended.

“Sorry. OK, one thousand going once…” She shoots a sharp look of warning at Tucker. “Going twice… gone, to the lucky gentleman in the outdated tux!”

Waverly feels relief wash over her, followed by admiration and surprise. “Jeremy, do you have that kind of money?”

“I have a full-time job and no life, so...yeah.” He smiles as Chrissy approaches with his golden ticket.

Nicole walks up to them, and turns to Wynonna. “Really, you couldn’t have warned me?”

Wynonna smiles at her, unbothered. “Would you have said yes?”

Nicole scowls at her, and positions herself back where she was standing, between Jeremy and Waverly.

Jeremy hands her the golden ticket. “Here, you’re a free woman.”

“Thanks, Jer.” She looks at Waverly, who gives her a sympathetic smile and reaches to give her hand a squeeze under the table.

Doc is the last one up, and Rosita starts the bidding once again. Jeremy bids as well, saying that he thought Doc needed saving too. But the bidding is definitively closed when Bunny Loblaw bids an indecent amount.

“Oh god, look at him,” Wynonna shakes her head. Doc is smiling ear to ear, clearly flattered by the generous donation he managed to pull in.

Mercedes is smiling, too, genuinely for the first time tonight. “That concludes the business portion of the evening, so let’s get the party started!” She cues someone in the back. The room is suddenly filled with bass-heavy music, and the bright lights are replaced by softer ones of all colors. A few people stack chairs against the walls to make room for a dance floor.

**NICOLE** :

An hour later, the older guests have called it an evening, including Nedley (after Chrissy promised to hang out strictly with the group), yet the house is more full than it was. Clearly, a separate invitation was sent out about an afterparty, because there are more people here than just the charitable type.

Her natural response to the shift in the night is to be vigilant should anything happen, but everyone seems to be on good behavior--simply having fun. And she’s glad for that, because she finds herself very distracted by the captivating woman standing beside her.

Waverly looks beautiful and elegant in that dress, and Nicole tries hard not to think about the exquisite body underneath. As the evening goes on, and the drinks keep coming, she begins to feel emboldened. She takes Waverly’s hand, and ushers her to dance. Nobody would think anything of it, she convinces herself, since Waverly and Chrissy have already danced--Nicole just needs an excuse to touch her in any way she can. But it becomes more and more difficult to resist leaning in to kiss her. Instead, she leans in as though she’s going to whisper something to her, and nibbles at her earlobe. Waverly’s cheeks flush, and she can see the look of desire in her eyes that sparks a craving in Nicole.

Waverly walks them back to their empty table, and takes the golden ticket, handing it to Nicole. “Can I redeem this?”

She laughs, setting it back down. “Haven’t we already been spending the evening together?”

“Well, I was thinking,” she moves a finger around the rim of her champagne glass, “I want a little more…”

“Oh yeah?” Nicole responds with a flirty tone. “What did you have in mind?”

A mischievous smile crosses Waverly’s face. “Meet me upstairs in five minutes. There’s a guest room at the end of the hall to the left.” Nicole shifts a little in her dress, as she watches her walk away. 

But then Jeremy walks over to the table, blocking her line of sight.

He plops down on the barstool, dramatically. She offers him her drink. “Uh-oh, did Chrissy steal your date?” She looks over at the dance floor to find Chrissy and Robin dorking it up together.

“Yeah, but my feet hurt in these shoes, so...” he shrugs.

They sit there for a moment, in comfortable silence.

“Have you seen Wynonna?” Nicole realizes she’s missing.

“Oh, she’s sick in the bathroom. I think all those hors d’oeuvres were too much. Dolls said he’ll take her home.” At the look on Nicole’s face, he added, “Don’t worry, she’s fine. Really. When you have that much bacon and donuts and beer, it’s bound to hit you the wrong way.”

Nicole nods. She tries to come up with a way to excuse herself and make her way upstairs, but she can’t really use the bathroom as an excuse anymore.

“Where’s Waverly?”

“Hm?” She gulps the mouthful of champagne and nearly chokes. “Oh, Waverly?” She feigns ignorance. “Huh, I don’t know actually.”

Jeremy nods. “Maybe you should go find her.” Without another word, he hands her the golden ticket from the table, and walks back to the dance floor.

_ Of course he knows, _ she thinks, and she loves and hates him all at once.

***

The house is full, so Nicole goes unnoticed as she makes her way up the stairs to find Waverly waiting for her. They head into the guest room, and Nicole holds the doorknob turned as she carefully pushes the door closed and hears a nearly inaudible  _ click _ . Her trained ears listen for any signs on the other side as she turns quietly, leaning her back against the door. But all of her senses zero in on Waverly when they lock eyes, and Nicole is reminded of a cat ready to pounce--a thrilling rush of excitement rising in her chest.

As if by magnetic attraction, Waverly lunges forward and their lips connect hotly. Nicole’s heart races as their kisses become more desperate, her lungs racing to catch up to her heartbeat. Waverly pushes her hips forward against Nicole’s, who leans into the warm and wet kiss more fervently. Her hands move over the exposed soft skin of Waverly’s neck and shoulders, and roaming the whole of her figure, as Waverly wraps her arms around her. Nicole wants to feel more of her, all of her, and suddenly there is too much between them...

No sooner does she have that thought than she feels Waverly’s hands searching Nicole’s dress for a zipper. Taking the hint, Nicole reluctantly pulls away from their eager kiss to turn around. Waverly brushes her hair aside first to kiss the back of her neck before sliding the clasp down and slipping the dress off of Nicole; it drops into a puddle around her feet, revealing the soft blue lace underwear she wore--a gift from Waverly.

“God, you look so hot,” Waverly exhales when Nicole turns around. Nicole pulls her in again, and kisses her deeply, their tongues darting hungrily. Waverly’s hands explore Nicole’s bare skin, trailing her fingers lightly over her abdomen, causing Nicole to tremble slightly at her touch. Waverly pulls away to trail kisses down her neck, her collarbone, the softness of her breast, feeding the flame in Nicole’s core.

Nicole licks her lips, feeling the sensation of every breath Waverly marks on her body, and the arousal pooling between her legs is too much for her to bear.

Heart pounding, Nicole reaches to find the zipper of Waverly’s dress. Their lips connect again, but Nicole fumbles with the zipper and they laugh a little between heavy breaths. Waverly reaches back to try to unzip it herself, but it seems to be stuck. 

“Fuck it,” is all Nicole says before she effortlessly lifts Waverly up and pins her against a wide dresser. Waverly lets out a little moan and runs her hands through Nicole’s hair as she flicks her tongue against Nicole’s.

Nicole runs her hands up Waverly’s legs, lifting the skirt of the cursed dress up her thighs, until her fingers find the waistband of her underwear. She tugs on them, and Waverly shifts a little, allowing her to slip them off. With one more swift kiss, Nicole kneels between Waverly’s legs and moves her lips softly against her inner thighs, slowly making her way up. 

But she knows she’s teasing Waverly, who reaches down to weave her hands through Nicole’s hair and pull her in.

The taste of Waverly makes her own arousal climb higher, and Nicole reacts more hungrily, reaching to pull Waverly closer to her. As her tongue laps in circles and swirls, Waverly’s hand grasps and releases Nicole’s hair with one hand and the edge of the dresser with the other.

Nicole can tell by Waverly’s breathing that she’s close, and tries to pull back a little, but Waverly bucks her hips in rhythmic motions until her body goes tense with pleasure.

Nicole stops, but doesn’t make a move to get up. Instead, she waits a few seconds, and carefully starts up again with slight, delicate flicks. Waverly protests weakly, but gives in and resumes twisting her fingers in Nicole’s hair.

The second time she comes, Nicole’s tongue is pressed deep as Waverly rocks her hips once again over Nicole’s mouth. This time, she doesn’t hesitate to pull Nicole up from between her legs.

She wraps her arms around her neck and kisses her deeply, tiredly, then reaches her hand down into the waistband of Nicole’s blue lace underwear. Already on the edge of her own orgasm, Nicole breaks away from their kiss and rests her forehead against Waverly’s. Her breaths are short, her heart is pounding, and she places her hands on the dresser to brace herself.

She moves with Waverly as her fingers dip in and out of her, and finally releases against her palm.

They stand melted together, recovering for a moment.

“God, baby, that was...great,” Nicole laughs.

“Yeah, it was,” Waverly breathes. “Remind me never to wear this dress again.”

“At least not around me.”

They laugh and pull away with one last lazy kiss, and Waverly walks over to collect Nicole’s discarded dress. She hands it to her. “You think anyone noticed we were gone?”


End file.
